This invention relates to loudspeakers and is particularly concerned with a loudspeaker construction that permits field servicing in the form of a simple replacement of the entire voice coil, spider, cone and surround assembly. The invention is particularly applicable to woofers, although it is not limited thereto.
A typical loudspeaker includes a magnet assembly or motor attached to a basket or frame. The frame and motor define a gap in which a voice coil is disposed. The voice coil is suspended by a spider and cone/surround, both of which are attached to the frame. The electrical leads of the voice coil are connected to terminals on the frame. In the traditional loudspeaker the periphery of the spider is glued to the frame. The cone is attached to the frame by a flexible ring known as a surround. The electrical leads are permanently attached to the terminals, either by soldering or crimping.
The combination of the voice coil, spider, cone and surround is referred to herein as the active assembly. If the active assembly becomes damaged in a conventional loudspeaker, it must be removed from the frame and motor with mechanical cutting and solvents. A replacement assembly must then be installed in a series of steps including the following. The voice coil is aligned and bonded to the spider. The spider is aligned and bonded to the frame. The cone is aligned and bonded to the combination of the voice coil and spider. The surround is attached to the cone and then bonded to the frame. The leads from the voice coil must also be soldered to tinsels, which in turn must be soldered or crimped to the speaker terminals. Various tools, adhesives and solder are necessary to complete this procedure.
Very often field service technicians are unable or unwilling to undertake this laborious process. As a result many loudspeakers with damaged active assemblies are not repaired but simply discarded in their entirety, even though the frame and motor are undamaged and in perfectly usable condition. Even in instances where repairs are attempted, doing so necessitates returning the entire unit to the factory or service center with the attendant delay and expense.
This invention relates to a loudspeaker construction that makes replacement of the active assembly a simple procedure which can be readily performed in the field. Blown or damaged loudspeakers do not need to be returned to a factory or service center, as they can easily be repaired at a dealer""s location in minutes with simple tools. In addition, loudspeakers of the present invention can be changed to new colors or other cosmetics with no difficulty.
The loudspeaker of the present invention has a basket or frame attached to a conventional magnet assembly which defines a gap for a voice coil. The voice coil is suspended by a spider and cone. The cone is attached to the frame by a surround. The surround is removably connected to the frame. The spider is also removably connected to the frame by a clamp. The frame has at least one first retainer fixed thereto. The clamp has a second retainer incorporated therein. The clamp is preferably a circular ring that can be disconnected from the frame for axial movement relative to the frame. Thus, the first and second retainers are also axially movable relative to one another. The retainers can move between a released position and an adjacent position. When the first and second retainers are placed in the adjacent position, they can be rotated relative to one another so that they become engaged and prevent any relative axial movement. One of the retainers has a cam surface which engages the other retainer to apply axial pressure on the spider. The electrical connections to the voice coil are secured by this pressure onto contact pads which are electrically connected to the terminals. No soldering or crimping is required. Removal of the active assembly entails disconnecting the surround from the frame and rotating the clamp so the retainers are in the adjacent position. Then an axial movement of the clamp to its release position frees the spider and leads from the frame. The entire active assembly (plus the clamp) can then be removed from the frame.